Restaurants

At Fouronine you press a buzzer by the front door and (assuming you’re not selling encyclopedias) someone lets you in and shows you to your table. Whether this is to bolster the air of exclusivity or keep out randoms from surrounding estates is open to debate, but it makes for an evening akin to dining round at a friend’s house – albeit a friend with André Dupin, formerly of Chez Bruce , rattling around in the kitchen. Aesthetics lend a sense of Zen-like calm – from the backlit cocktail bar to the soft play of candlelight on the overhead beams – while the intimacy of the 50-at-a-push seating makes getting the waiter’s attention easy. The menu still needs a little fine tuning (a starter of pork belly with savoy cabbage and braised baby onions was paired with a sauce so salty that it rendered the rest of the meal virtually tasteless) but it’s more hit than miss. Fish dishes are done with real flair, from a starter of gilthead bream with squid ink risotto, to crispy sea bass with olive oil mash and chunks of grilled courgette. Desserts might be poached English rhubarb with champagne sorbet, or panna cotta with cinnamon-scented oranges, and there are cheeses from Neals Yard Dairy for those who prefer a savoury finish. Despite our minor gripes, we reckon Fouronine may well be replacing that buzzer through over use before the year is out.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009